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RCMP are still treating this area of Placentia as a crime scene, after a man was found dead in front of the red apartment building on Tuesday morning. (CBC)

An autopsy has been performed on the body of a Placentia man found dead on New Year's Eve, and police are asking local residents to have patience while they continue their investigation into the incident.

"I know there's a lot of information going around on social media, Facebook and Twitter," said RCMP Const. Mark Bishop, "But I caution people not to believe everything they hear and to wait for an update from us."

The man, in his 50s, was found in a snowbank outside the apartment complex where he lived at about 7:40 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

The RCMP in Placentia have called the death suspicious, and police have been monitoring the area ever since.

Taxi owner Lisa McGrath said she dropped the victim off at his home on Monday evening, the night before his body was found.

She said she was shocked to hear police call the man's death suspicious.

RCMP Const. Mark Bishop says there is no concern for public safety following the discovery of a man's body in Placentia. (CBC)

"Let's just say, if somebody harmed him, we don't understand why," said McGrath. "He wasn't, you know, he never harmed anybody himself."

Bishop said he knows the RCMP can't stop the rumour mill from spinning, but he said people have no reason to worry.

"People are concerned, and rightly so, but at this point there's no indication of any concern for public safety," said Bishop.